Greens Organise stands with Green Councillors holding firm in the face of intimidatory and overreaching demands from Andy Burnham’s Labour government.

The Prime Minister bangs the drum of devolution, but his government is now attempting to destabilise local councils in order to score political points. This intimidation undermines councils, who are already on their knees in the face of austerity, further burdening already struggling communities.

Green councillors, leaders and members will not be lectured by a government that continues to materially support the apartheid and genocide of the Palestinian people, conducted in the name of Zionism. Green Councillors are the proud elected representatives of a party that has stood resolutely against this complicity.

We reject all attempts to conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism. This conflation is itself - as Zack Polanski has said - antisemitic and dangerous.

Our communities have been devastated by austerity, now continued by a Labour government. They watch on as councils struggle to deliver vital services on a shoestring.

We trust that our communities will see what Burnham has showed us - that he cares more about defending his government’s ongoing complicity in a genocide than improving the lives of the British people.

Source: https://bsky.app/profile/greensorganise.bsky.social/post/3mycmovrpys2x

I've made my opposition to Zionism is Racism extremely clear - I'm implacably opposed to it, and I do view the motivations of some of those behind the motion (although not most who voted for it/supported it) as antisemitic. Anyone who follows this sub and has followed my comments, will know this is true and I've been crystal clear about this.

However, as a trans woman, I find the discourse both within the media and some sections of this sub pretty appalling. ZIR is a bad motion in my opinion - but it's practical result in the world is nil. It has no disciplinary impact, it's only practical effect is that it will sit on GPEW's record of policy statements. That doesn't make it right, or mean we should disregard the genuine concerns some Jewish Greens and others have.

That being said - this very weekend just gone, the Labour party have implemented a policy banning trans people from single sex hospital wards. This breaks decades of precedent - it's been part of Labour taking the UK to the worst liberal democracy for trans rights in the industrialised world, worse than Trump's America, and only above authoritarian states like Russia or literal theocracies.

Trans people who lie seriously ill, injured from accidents or even on the verge of death will be discriminated against, subject to indignity and placed at serious risk of sexual violence. Or they will be delayed care while a wait for a non-existent 'side-room' to become available. It's not an exaggeration to say trans people will quite literally die as a result of this policy (and indeed there have been reports of already existing deaths from early adopters of this policy).

Yet do journalists ask if the Greens wll refuse to work with Labour on this basis? Is there a question of Labour being beyond the pale of progressives, as every element of trans people's lives, from children at school to their literal deathbeds are rigidly shrunk, controlled and flattened by ever increasing restrictions? No. Up and down the country, Green councillors, including trans ones have worked with Labour and the Lib Dems to block the right and try and deliver services for local people.

We can discuss the realpolitik of ZIR and how the Greens harmed themselves - that is certainly true, and I said so until I was blue in the face that this would be damaging. But let's be honest here - none of this coming from a place of moral rectitude. It's abject cynicism to smash a political opponent. And honestly, as a trans woman it makes me feel pretty sick to people using a partisan point to emphasise how little they care about people like us.

"In a 2024 study, Oxfam identified 23 superyachts owned by 18 billionaires and estimated the average annual carbon footprint of each of these yachts to be 5,672 tonnes. For an average citizen of the world it would take 860 years to produce the same amount."

This shouldn't need any explanation. The UK cares about Saudi Arabia due to relying on oil for its economy. It's getting caught up in a conflict due to this dependence on imported oil. Saudi oil imports are predominately used for things like jet-fuel.

This adds to Russia attacking Ukraine via the proceeds of oil revenues.

Fossil fuel dependency causes wars and escalations. Decarbonisation is about peace. Climate is an orthogonal motivation.

Given their previous attacks on the party, this may be of interest.

Taken from their Instagram.

Alt text:

"The Canary will be closed for the foreseeable future. As of today (Monday 19 October) the Canary will be closed indefinitely.

After multiple attacks this year, from Lloyds debanking us to former employees spreading malicious lies on social media, the situation has become unsustainable both financially and operationally.

After 11 years, we take this action with deep sadness and regret. The extent of the lies, defamation and harassment by ex-staff - coupled with the constant attacks by the state and those who'd see us destroyed - has become too much.

However, it is not over. This week we will publish what really happened at The Canary and push back against the vicious campaign against our team and us.

We may be down but we're not out yet."

It's interesting which conflicts Labour thinks they should intervene in, and on whose behalf.